Theatre Under The Stars Announces Nominations For The 17th Annual Tommy Tune Awards

High school students, teachers, and parents across Houston are celebrating the nominations for the 17th Annual Tommy Tune Awards! Dan Knechtges, Artistic Director at Theatre Under The Stars, announced the nominees for Best Musical via video on the Tommy Tune Awards Facebook page.

A program of Theatre Under the Stars, the Tommy Tune Awards recognize and reward excellence in the artistry of musical theatre by high school students and their teachers in the greater Houston metropolitan area. The annual awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The rambunctious celebration features performing from some of Houston's most talented teens.

After evaluating the 51 participating Houston-area high school productions during the 2018-2019 school year, a team of 40 Houston-based theatre professionals nominated students in 15 award categories.

The following high schools and individuals were nominated:

Best Musical:
Cypress Ranch High School Disney's The Little Mermaid
Houston Christian High School Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Kingwood High School - Newsies
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Stratford High School - Newsies
The Emery/Weiner School - Bright Star
The Kinkaid School - 9 to 5 The Musical

Leading Actress:
Mireya Velasquez from Cypress Ranch High School as "Ariel" in Disney's The Little Mermaid
Ava Bryant from Klein Oak High School as "Alice Murphy" in Bright Star
Parker Munsey from Mayde Creek High School as "Elle Woods" in Legally Blonde The Musical
Emily Cagle from Second Baptist School as "Kim MacAfee" in Bye Bye Birdie
Makaila Heath from Spring High School as "Princess Winnifred" in Once Upon a Mattress
Caroline Moseley from The Kinkaid School as "Judy Bernly" in 9 to 5 The MusicalCarlie Sachs from The Kinkaid School as "Violet Newstead" in 9 to 5 The Musical
Grace Muir from The Kinkaid School as "Doralee Rhodes" in 9 to 5 The Musical

Leading Actor:
Ryan Fielder from Clear Brook High School as "William Barfee" in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
William Clyburn from Friendswood High School as "Tevye" in Fiddler on the Roof
Adam Kral from Houston Christian High School as "Bert" in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Aidan Hartung from Kingwood High School as "Jack Kelly" in Newsies
Aaron Kersey from Klein Oak High School as "Jimmy Ray Dobbs" in Bright Star
Benjamin Heintz from Seven Lakes High School as "Beast" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Josue Hernandez from Spring High School as "Prince Dauntless" in Once Upon a Mattress
Noah Pacht from The Emery/Weiner School as "Jimmy Ray Dobbs" in Bright Star

Supporting Actress:
Arielle Roberts from Clear Springs High School as "Motormouth Maybelle" in Hairspray
Avonlea Yeakley from Fulshear High School as "Mrs. Pearce" in My Fair Lady
Stephanie Leary from Houston Christian High School as "Winifred Banks" in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Brooklynn King from Pearland High School as "Demeter" in Cats
Glendaliris Torres-Greaux from Mayde Creek High School as "Brooke Taylor Wyndham" in Legally Blonde The Musical
Ever Williams from Obra D. Tompkins High School as "Mama Euralie" in Once On This Island
Maddie Erwin from Second Baptist School as "Mrs. Mae Peterson" in Bye Bye Birdie
Brent Eastman from Seven Lakes High School as "Mrs. Potts" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Supporting Actor:
Brandon Doan from Clear Lake High School as "George" in The Drowsy Chaperone
Marco Molldrum from Clear Lake High School as "Aldolpho" in The Drowsy Chaperone
Benjamin Singer from Concordia Lutheran High School as "Motel" in Fiddler on the Roof
Samuel Oladejo from Mayde Creek High School as "Professor Callahan" in Legally Blonde The Musical
Andrew Burke from Memorial High School as "Freddy Eynsford-Hill" in My Fair Lady
Jared Guidry from Seven Lakes High School as "Lumiere" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Gabriel Saenz from Spring High School as "Sir Harry" in Once Upon a Mattress
Ty Price from Westfield High School as "Mr. Mushnik" in Little Shop of Horrors

Featured Performer:
Jazlynn Thomas, Anika Adames, Najea Broadnax, and Christian Quijano from Fulshear High School as "The Cockney Quartet" in My Fair Lady
Katherine Lunam from Houston Christian High School as "Mrs. Brill" in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Camryn Gonzales from John Randolph Foster High School as "The Witch" in Big Fish
Ashton Ebert from Kingwood High School as "Romeo" in NewsiesSavannah Brown from Pearland High School as "Macavity/Rumpus" in Cats
Zac Decker from Second Baptist School as "Harvey Johnson" in Bye Bye BirdieMatthew Martinez from St. Agnes Academy as "The Wolf" in Into the Woods
Priscilla Mach from The Kinkaid School as "Margaret" in 9 to 5 The Musical

Ensemble:
Friendswood High School - Fiddler on the Roof
Houston Christian High School - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Kingwood High School - Newsies
Klein Forest High School - Once On This Island
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
Pearland High School - Cats
Second Baptist School - Bye Bye Birdie
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Stratford High School - Newsies
The Kinkaid School - 9 to 5 The Musical

Lighting Design:
Clear Springs High School - Hairspray
Concordia Lutheran High School - Fiddler on the Roof
Cypress Ranch High School - Disney's The Little Mermaid
Fulshear High School - My Fair Lady
James E. Taylor High School - Les Miserables School Edition
Klein Collins High School - Oliver!
Obra D. Tompkins High School - Once On This Island
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Spring High School - Once Upon a Mattress
Stratford High School - Newsies

Scenic Design:
Clear Lake High School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Cypress Woods High School - Chicago: High School Edition
Dulles High School - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street School Edition
G.W. Carver Magnet High School - Carmen Jones
Kingwood High School - Newsies
Klein Collins High School - Oliver!
Pearland High School - Cats
Spring High School - Once Upon a Mattress
Stratford High School - Newsies
Westfield High School - Little Shop of Horrors

Costume Design:
Clear Brook High School - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Clear Lake High School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Cypress Woods High School - Chicago: High School Edition
G.W. Carver Magnet High School - Carmen Jones
Klein Forest High School - Once On This Island
Klein High School - Legally Blonde The Musical
Mayde Creek High School - Legally Blonde The Musical
Obra D. Tompkins High School - Once On This Island
Spring High School - Once Upon a Mattress
Stratford High School - Newsies

Stage Crew & Technical Execution:
Concordia Lutheran High School - Fiddler on the Roof
Cypress Ranch High School - Disney's The Little Mermaid
Fulshear High School - My Fair Lady
Houston Christian High School - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Kingwood High School - Newsies
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Stratford High School - Newsies
The Emery/Weiner School - Bright Star
The Kinkaid School - 9 to 5 The Musical

Orchestra:
B.F. Terry High School - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Houston Christian High School - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
James E. Taylor High School - Les Miserables School Edition
Klein Cain High School - Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach
Klein Collins High School - Oliver!
Klein Forest High School - Once On This Island
Klein High School - Legally Blonde The Musical
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
Memorial High School - My Fair Lady
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Musical Direction:
Cypress Ranch High School - Disney's The Little Mermaid
Houston Christian High School - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Klein Collins High School - Oliver!
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
Pearland High School - Cats
Second Baptist School - Bye Bye Birdie
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
St. Agnes Academy - Into the Woods
The Emery/Weiner School - Bright Star
The Kinkaid School - 9 to 5 The Musical

Choreography:
Cypress Ranch High School - Disney's The Little Mermaid
Friendswood High School - Fiddler on the Roof
Houston Christian High School - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Klein Collins High School - Oliver!
Klein Forest High School - Once On This Island
Klein High School - Legally Blonde The Musical
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
The Emery/Weiner School - Bright Star
The Kinkaid School - 9 to 5 The Musical
Westfield High School - Little Shop of Horrors

Direction:
Cypress Ranch High School - Disney's The Little Mermaid
Fulshear High School - My Fair Lady
Houston Christian High School - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Kingwood High School - Newsies
Klein Oak High School - Bright Star
Second Baptist School - Bye Bye Birdie
Seven Lakes High School - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Stratford High School - Newsies
The Emery/Weiner School - Bright Star
The Kinkaid School - 9 to 5 The Musical

The Tommy Tune Awards are named for Houston native and Lamar High School alumnus Tommy Tune. A performer, director and choreographer with more than 50 years of stage experience, Tune received nine Tony Awards for his work in productions including: Seesaw, Nine, Grand Hotel and The Will Rogers Follies. He was also awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2003 by President George W. Bush.

The Best Leading Actor and Actress will go on to compete at the national level for the Jimmy Award at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City. Established in 2009, the Jimmy Awards are named after Broadway theatre owner and producer, James M. Nederlander. This year, the program will bring the country's best high school performers together to compete on Broadway on June 24. While in New York, Jimmy Award participants will have the opportunity to participate in rehearsals and master classes, receive one-on-one coaching from theater professionals, be seen by casting agents, meet and converse with Broadway actors and compete for scholarships and other prizes. The week's events will culminate in a live awards show where the Jimmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress will be presented.